


The Written Word

by Anonymous



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Exs, F/M, Mentions of Suicide Attempt, Minor background karedevil, Sex, Suicide Attempt, Vaginal, divorcer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 07:08:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19662328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A dark manuscript written by Matt’s ex wife, sends his life slowly spiralling out of control.Inspired by Nocturnal Animals.





	The Written Word

**Author's Note:**

> From our rps wlthoutfear and theladyxluckless

Elektra wraps her manuscript with a soft wrapping paper, that crinkles when you touch it. Inside all the braille pages are neat and tidy. On the very top of the manuscript, sits a page that reads,

_I hope you can enjoy this Matthew. I know it has been a long time since we’ve seen each other, but when I wrote this, I thought of you. You were my inspiration._

_I’m in town for the next month if you’re interested in reconnecting._

_\- Elektra._

Matt runs his fingers over the braille as though it would burn him if he lingered too long. The last person he expected to hear from was Elektra, it had been years since he’d cut her from his life and now all of a sudden, it was as though none of that had ever happened.

Karen had left town for a few weeks, busy chasing a lead for some article she was writing. She was gone a lot, Matt is used to their home being silent and frankly, it sometimes feels stranger when she’s there all the time. He could meet with Elektra if he wanted, Karen would never have to know but it still doesn’t sit well with him.

Maybe his mind would be made, after he finishes reading whatever it was Elektra had been so inspired by him to write.

Elektra lays in her bathtub. Her head submerged beneath the water, before she comes up gasping for air. Her hands clutch the side of the tub, and she rests her head against the back. Breathing heavily

She shuts her eyes and tries to forget the last time she did that. The last time she tried to drown herself. Matt had just sent her signed divorce papers, and she didn’t want to live.

Now that she’s sent him the manuscript, she’s as frazzled and off kilter as she was then. She doesn’t know why she tried to drown herself this time. Unlike before, there’s no reason for it. She just wanted to feel the fire in her lungs.

It reminds her of the fire Matt still stirs in her heart.

He doesn’t know what he had been expecting, but the manuscript somehow manages to be the complete opposite of what he’d thought would come from Elektra. It’s dark and gritty, his stomach twisted at the thought of somehow being the inspiration. 

He stays up all night reading, ignores multiple calls from Karen and by the time he’s done, he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to feel. The only real way to get an answer would be to meet with Elektra like she’d suggested but that feels even less appealing now.

Elektra moves around her flat like a ghost. Unable to sleep. Waiting for any response from Matt.

Something. Anything. Even if its him saying he hates it. After all these years, he has her heart around his finger.

He waits until morning to reach out to Elektra. He needs the time to think, to try and process what move to make. The whole night is spent tossing and turning, trying to cast her out from his mind.

Even after everything, Matt still has her number. He always said it was in case of an emergency though he could never think of one that would appease Karen. He sits in bed for a good half an hour with his finger hovering over the call button before he finally presses it.

Elektra is busy eating breakfast when her phone buzzes. She reaches for it, and nearly drops the phone when she sees who’s the caller.

“Hello.” She hopes the surprise is out of her voice. She knows she offered to catch up, but she didn’t expect him to take her up on it.

Matt freezes at the sound of Elektra’s voice. He hadn’t forgotten it but time had simply softened it in his mind, hearing it again in person is a whole other situation. A silence settles for a long few moments before he swallows and speaks up.

“I got your manuscript,” he says, choosing to skip the greetings and get to the meat of the conversation. 

“And what did you think?” She twiddles her fingers. A long standing nervous habit.

“I don’t understand why you sent it to me now.” Matt sighs. “It’s been years and then out of the blue— I just don’t understand.”

“Because you inspired it. It’s as simple as that.” Her words are blunt. If she says more, she fears all the piled up emotions she’s harboured over the years, will come spilling out.

“That’s not a good enough answer,” he spits back with more venom than he’d intended. “What do you mean I inspired it?”

Elektra rests her head against the back of her chair, and shuts her eyes. “Don’t you see? Mike is the darkest parts of you. The shadows. The blood. The fists in the dark.” Her protagonist is the version of Matt that isn’t good. That isn’t kind or godly. Mike is Matt if his light didn’t outweigh his darkness.

“And I think you can guess who Erynys is.”

“See, you don’t get to do this. You can’t just show up out of the blue claiming you know the deepest parts of my soul because you don’t. You never did and you never will.” Matt’s hands shake slightly as he tries to calm himself down, he doesn’t want to give her the reaction she’s craving.

“I’ve read better, by the way.” He says finally before hanging up, regretting ever reaching out in the first place.

Elektra nearly throws her phone at his last comment. She knows it was just a dig to anger her, and it worked. Taking a jab at her pride is an easy blow to deliver.

”Oh Matthew, still in denial about what we were.” She mutters to herself. Running her hand across her face. “It seems somethings don’t change.”

Matt sits in shock for a long while after the phone call, various emotions rushing through him. He’s angry that Elektra insist on inserting herself in his life again even though he’s moved on, frazzled from what she sees in him and scared that it’s the truth.

He shakes himself out of it and gets up to go throw away her gift, as though it wasn’t already burned into his brain forever.

Elektra doesn’t sleep that night. Tossing and turning in her bed. Relaying their short conversation in her mind. A whirlwind of emotions surging inside her.

She snatches her phone in one particular moment of anger, and texts him. His number still in her phone from his phone call.

‘Still can’t except a gift without question. You haven’t changed at all. I know that because I know you, and I always have.’ She hits send without a second thought, and falls back into her pillow. Not ready to deal with the consequences of her actions until tomorrow.

Matt’s phone hits the wall with a crack after reading aloud Elektra’s text. She had always been infuriating, most days it was difficult to remember what he’d even loved about her in the beginning. 

He thinks about Karen, she’s never made him mad like this. She doesn’t make him feel many strong emotions though, their life is plain and routine. That’s one thing he has to give to Elektra, she was unexpected.

No response from Matt, is worst then an angry one. It means he’s stewing in his fury, and that eventually it’ll all boil over, and she’ll feel the wrath of it.

When Matt wakes up the next morning, he’s no less angry. If anything, time has only allowed for him to find more and more things to be frustrated with. It’s been a long time since he’s _felt_ this much, and that’s a bad thing in his books.

He thinks about going and confronting Elektra for real, letting there be nothing left unsaid or misinterpreted before he goes his way for good, leaving her in the dust.

* * *

The knock on her door is short and harsh, and Elektra knows in her gut who it is. She opens it slowly, hoping to grate his nerves.

“Hello Matthew.” She speaks. Void of emotion in her voice, but feeling a storm inside.

Matt’s fingers twitch by his side as he impatiently waits for Elektra to open the door. Once she does, he pushes past her and enters her apartment. He goes to the nearest table and throws the manuscript down, then turns to face Elektra while doing his best to mask his irritation.

“Why now?”

“The inspiration came when it did. I have no control over that.” She shrugs. Appearing nonchalant in the face of his anger. Inside she’s giddy and overwhelmed. It’s been so many years since she’s seen him. She wishes she could reach out and caress his cheek, but she knows what his reaction would be.

“I don’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth,” he scoffs. “I think you’re malicious and lonely and felt like pouring salt in old wounds. We’ve been divorced for years, Elektra, I don’t need your bullshit psychoanalysis mailed to my front door.”

“Would you have rather learned about it once it’s published? Maybe you could’ve heard about it through Foggy.” She tilts her head to the side. “I thought I was doing you a favour.”

“Don’t play innocent, it doesn’t suit you,” he refuses to believe that any of this was for his benefit. It’s far more likely that it’s another game Elektra wants to play, one he has to admit he’s willing taking part in now but what was the other choice?

“What does suit me then?” Her tone is suggestive as she looks up at him through her lashes. She slowly starts to move around him. Like a animal stalking his prey.

Her robe swishes against the floor as she walks, and a smirk sits on her face. Matt can never know how she feels inside. If he did, he probably wouldn’t believe her anyways.

“You’re unbelievable,” he laughs in disbelief, amazed at how quickly the tone of the conversation has shifted. Matt slowly rotates in place as Elektra circles him, doing his best to keep facing her. “You’re more desperate than I thought, it’s sad.”

“Nothing I do is good enough for you. Not my book. Not my answers to your questions. Nothing. Maybe you’re the sad one. Running to me. Maybe you just wanted an excuse to see me.” She’s purposely pushing his buttons. He’s hurt her again, and she does love to retaliate.

“I’ve been honest since you called me. You’re the one that’s lying to yourself.”

“I don’t want to hear from you, I want nothing to do with you. I left for a reason and you still don’t get that.” He snaps at her. “I don’t care about you or your stupid book, what I want is for you to let me life my life without inserting yourself into it. I’ve moved on, you should too and stop dwelling on the past.”

“You made it clear you didn’t care about me, when you left without any warning. You didn’t even give me the apparent reason you’re talking about. You call me cruel, and I can be, I admit it, but so are you.” Her cool and calculated facade is cracking, and she isn’t happy.

“And you claim not to care about my ‘stupid book’, but yet it has you in an uproar. If it means nothing to you, you shouldn’t be so upset.” Elektra crosses her arms snug against her chest. Trying to anchor herself from the feelings slowly bubbling upwards.

“I don’t know why I came here, there’s no getting through to you,” Matt rolls his eyes from behind his glasses before turning to head towards the door. He doesn’t need this, he has a life without Elektra that he’s content with it. He doesn’t have to explain himself or his emotions, she’s the one who reached out first after all.

“There’s nothing to get through to me. Trust me, I’m aware of what we are to each other. I’ve been aware for years.” She turns away from him, knowing he’s about to leave.

“Come back around if you want to have a civilized conversation.” She pauses at the bottom of her stairs. “Oh, and leave me a review on goodreads when the book is out.” She heads up the stairs without another word.

* * *

Karen calls Matt later that night and immediately knows something is wrong. He’s short with her, snappy and rude, usually he’s nothing but kind and patient and it unnerves her that he won’t say what’s bothering him.

He spends another sleepless night in bed, left only more angry after their face to face conversation and desperately wanting to be over and done with whatever hell he’d found himself reliving.

Somehow Elektra manages to sleep that night. How is beyond her, but when she dreams, she dreams of Matt.

Of their first meeting, first time, and their wedding. Blissful moments that soon turn dark as she remembers the fights, the yelling, and then him leaving without warning. The last thing she sees before she awakes, is the memory of her submerging herself under the bath water. Ready to end it all.

There’s tears on her cheeks, as she fumbles for her phone in the early morning. Once more she texts Matt. ‘Why did you leave me?’ Is all she manages in her distraught state.

Matt stares blankly up at the ceiling as he makes his phone replay Elektra’s text over and over again. It feels like an eternity has past by before he eventually makes himself respond. He’s still fueled with frustration and anger but something about the pitiful nature of her message makes him calm down just a little.

‘I wasn’t happy anymore.’ He responds simply, it was the truth but not the full one.

When his response comes, she nearly bursts into tears again. Things were hard, and they were fighting, but still he gave no indication he was going to leave.

She thought they’d always take on the world together. That no one would know them like they knew each other.

‘So that’s why you left? You weren’t happy? Well boo fucking who. You think you weren’t happy?! You should’ve seen me after you left! I tried to kill myself!’ Elektra hits send, and instantly wishes she hadn’t. No one knows about her suicide attempt. No one. And now she’s told her ex husband in an angry text.

‘I’m sorry,’ is the only response Matt can muster. What else was he supposed to say? He switches his phone off after sending the text and tosses it across the room, swiftly curling back into bed with himself buried beneath the covers. 

He didn’t leave because he didn’t love her anymore, it was why he’d done it so out of the blue, he couldn’t handle to see Elektra’s reaction. He was simply scared, she brought out things in him he’d been taught his entire life to be ashamed of and repent for and suddenly here she was, eagerly drawing them out.

Elektra clutches the phone to her chest when his response comes. Fighting back another wave of tears. Her nails digging into her phone case.

She turns over and continues to hold her phone. Not knowing what to do with herself. Even after all these years, she still loves him, and if he said he wanted her back, she’d come running.

The book wasn’t meant to cause all of this drama. She sent it because he inspired it, that’s all. She should’ve known it would never be left at that.

The next morning after another sleepless night, Matt walks around his apartment like a zombie. He still hasn’t regained the courage to turn his phone back on, afraid of what he’ll find waiting for him. He doesn’t want any of this, he wishes that they could have a normal friendship like many exes do but they’d never been normal.

Elektra eventually sends Matt another text. Nerves racking her. ‘Do you want to try meeting up again, and talking like civilized adults this time?’

Matt responds a few hours later once he’s gained the courage to check his phone.

‘Depends. Are you going to be this passive aggressive in person?’A few minutes later, he sends another. ‘You can come here, I’m working from home today and don’t have time to go out.’

‘We’ll see. I’ll be there in thirty.’ Elektra picks one of her old favourite dresses. A silk one that hangs off her body in a flattering way. Her hair is left lose, and brushes against her bare shoulders.

Her bracelets jangle as she knocks on his door, and she bites her bottom lip.

Matt wonders how Karen would feel about him inviting his ex-wife to their home while she was out of town. He had no intentions of telling her, for all he knew this was going to be the last time and then he could get back to his normal life.

He opens the door and takes a step back, making space for Elektra to come in. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up to expose his forearms, everything fits nicely and his glasses lay forgotten on his bedside table.

Elektra drinks him in as she steps inside. Things had been too emotionally charged before for her to take him in. He’s just as handsome as ever, and she appreciates the scruff on his chin. He used to be clean shaven when they were married.

Her eyes scan then apartment, then look away when she sees a wedding picture. “Nice place you have here.”

“It’s alright,” he says as he walks past her, sitting down at the dinner table where various braille documents sat, details and information for a case he was working. He nods over at the chair opposite him and waits for Elektra to sit down.

Elektra sits across from him, and crosses her smooth legs. She brushes a piece of hair from her face, as she finds it hard to look at him. That fact that she admitted her suicide attempt is still upsetting.

“So, do you wanna start, or should I?”

“We both have questions, I guess it’s better to get them out now than let them fester.” Despite being angry still, Matt knows he has to be at least slightly more gentle. He can only imagine what Elektra is feeling. “You can start.”

“Why did you actually leave? Was it just because you weren’t happy?”

“I didn’t like what you saw in me,” he says after a long sigh, “like you said, all the dark parts. I felt like that was what you really wanted, this version of me I want nothing to do with. The more we fought, the more I felt myself getting closer to this darkness and so I left.”

“Yes I saw the darkness in you, but I also saw the light. You only wanted that part of yourself, but I wanted you to accept both. Can’t you see that in my book?”

“You asked why I left, that’s the reason.” He sighs once more and leans back in his chair, his legs spread open and hands resting on his thighs. “You were my wife, not my priest. I didn’t want you digging up all those parts of myself I was ashamed of.”

Elektra runs a hand over her face. “Do you have any questions for me?”

“Last night… you told me you tried to kill yourself after I left,” Matt says after debating whether or not to bring it up at all. It’s a touchy subject but it’s all he can think about now he knows. “Why?” He thought it was pretty obvious they both weren’t happy in the marriage, if anything he’d assumed it would be a relief to not be at each others throats every day.

She shrugs weakly. “I don’t want to live in a world where you weren’t mine. You were my everything. I didn’t have anyone else. Without you, I didn’t see a reason to go on.” Her voice is wet with emotion, and she runs her tongue across her bottom lip.

“I didn’t know,” Matt quietly says after a short silence. “We can’t keep thinking about the past though, what happened has happened and we can’t change that. I’m sorry but this doesn’t change anything, you need to move on. We weren’t good for each other.”

Elektra shuts her eyes tight, and a single tear rolls down her cheek. She lets out a shaky sigh. “You’ve ruined me for other men. I can’t move on when all I can see is you.”

“Elektra, please,” Matt speaks softly, it still hurts to see Elektra hurt, even after all these years of resentment and trying to forget. “You know I met someone else, it isn’t fair to her that we’re even talking about this.”

She half heartedly shrugs. “You said I should move on, and I’m telling you I can’t. I’m being honest.” She stands from her seat, and slowly steps towards him. “What could I have done to make you stay? What was it you needed?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Matt resists getting up and stepping away from Elektra, it’s clearly an emotional conversation and the last thing he wants is for it to become heated yet again.

She shuts her eyes and takes another step. Letting her hand come down, and brush his shoulder with her finger tips. “My book, they made it work. Mike and Erynys were darker then we could ever be, and they made it work. Why couldn’t we?”

“Because you wrote them. You wanted them to be together so they were, but you can’t control the world like that.” He doesn’t flinch away from her touch, thinking perhaps she might get it all out of her system this way.

Elektra’s fingers begin to trail across his shoulder to his neck. Lightly grazing it with soft circles. “Oh Matthew.” She sighs. No words feeling good enough to express her feelings.

Matt shakes his head but can’t seem to find the words to tell Elektra to stop. He knows how this goes, it’s why he had to leave without saying a word because somehow he always ended up back being putty in her hands.

When he doesn’t shove her away, she slowly moves her hand up into his hair. Massaging and rubbing her nails against his scalp. Just enough of an edge for a nice bite.

Matt lets out a small involuntary moan before he reaches up and wraps his hand around her wrist. Gently, he pulls her hand away despite being unable to dispute her fingers in his hair felt incredible.

Elektra lets him move her hand, then crouches down beside him. Her other hand goes to his chest, and her face moves closer to his. “It’s been so long.” She whispers. “So long since we sat in peace.”

Matt’s features soften, he wants to believe that Elektra simply wants something innocent but something holds him back.

“I don’t know if you actually want peace,” he whispers, their noses almost close enough to brush against one another.

Her eyelashes flutter as she drinks in him in again. She moves her face closer only slightly, making their noses touch. “I love to raise some hell, but peace is good too sometimes.” She says gently with a grin.

“We weren’t ever that good at it,” Matt knows he should move away before this goes to far, before he crosses a line he can’t turn back from. However, he can’t make himself do it. 

“No, we weren’t.” Elektra laughs lightly. Her face moves closer, and her eyes run over his face once more. She takes a shallow breath, before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. Kissing him.

Matt stays still longer than he ever would like to admit, even returns the kiss for a moment or two before he pulls back quickly. He pushes his chair back and stands up, taking a few steps away from Elektra.

Elektra bites her lip at the sting of rejection. She stands but doesn’t move. Rooted in place.

“What part of ‘I’ve moved on,’ did you not understand?” He asks slowly, not sounding particularly angry but perhaps weakened.

“You kissed me back.” She states softly. “And you came back into my life. I sent you the manuscript, but you called me. You showed up at my place. You never had to interact with me, but here we are.”

“None of that means I want to get back together,” he laughs yet again in disbelief, “you don’t have the right after I’ve invited you to my home to act like there’s any possibility of us fixing what went wrong because there isn’t. I don’t want that.”

“You sure?” Elektra steps closer to him. Breathing him in. “Could’ve fooled me.” She moves in. Leaning close once more.

“Stop.” He stands his ground, not wanting to be thrown off by Elektra’s closeness. His fingers twitch by his side and Matt chews harshly on the inside of his cheek.

“Are you sure you want that?” She whispers against his lips.

“Yes,” he says with the confidence of someone who clearly doesn’t know what he wants.

Elektra captures his lips in another kiss, and wraps her arms around his neck. Anchoring him to her.

Matt’s hands come to grab at Elektra’s hips, roughly pulling her closer to him. The kiss is desperate and hungry, all teeth and tongues and spit. It’s been too long since he’s touched someone like this, without fear or careful consideration.

Her hands move down his back, and grasp at his ass. Her nails digging into it.

They begin to walk backwards. The back of her legs hit the couch, and they tumble onto it. Him landing on top of her, and pinning her there. Her legs wrap around him, and lift the slit of her dress.

Matt’s hand travels up her thigh. When he reaches the end of the slit in her dress, he pulls sharply at the fabric and rips it with ease. It’s been literal years since he’s felt this much, an actual want and desire coursing through him like a wildfire. 

Elektra moans against his lips, and presses against him. Her hands pulling up his shirt.

He grinds down against her and groans against her lips, too caught up in the feeling of her body pressed against his to acknowledge how wrong it is. Matt’s hand continues up Elektra’s thigh until he reaches her panties.

Her breath hitches as he brushes her though her panties, and she bites on his bottom lip. Nibbling on it for a moment.

“Matthew. Oh Matthew. Please fuck me.” She begs.

“You can beg better than that,” he practically growls whilst rubbing his thumb across her clit through her panties. If they’re going to do this, he won’t allow only his pride to be tarnished.

“I’m such a little slut that needs you to fuck her.” Elektra growls and digs into his ass. Her heels pressing into his back.

“Fuck, yeah you are,” with that, he fumbles to unzip his pants and pull his cock out. He kisses Elektra hard as he pushes inside her, muffling her moan in surprise. The last thing he needs is for the neighbors to hear him fucking someone when they know Karen’s out of town.

She writhes underneath him in pleasure as her nails claw at his skin. She moans into their kisses as he thrusts into her again and again.

Matt fucks Elektra into the cushions of the couch, the same one he’d spent many innocent evenings on with his wife. He wraps his hand lightly around her throat, pining her down and feeling her gasped moans vibrating.

“Fuck.” She hisses as she inches closer to orgasm. “You’re fucking me so good.”

Feeling her clench around him, Matt continues to fuck her hard and tightens his hand around her throat. He wants to feel her come around him, wants to be reminded of how good they once were together.

Elektra kisses him deeply as her orgasm comes, and her nails dig into his back. “ _Matthew_.” She mewls. “My Matthew.”

Matt comes a few moments later, thrilled to the core at being called Elektra’s. It’s the first time since he left her that he’s felt actually wanted, desired, he believes that he’s hers no matter how much he wishes that it wasn’t the case.

Elektra flips him over, and peppers his face with sweet kisses. Her hands caressing his hair, and her long locks brushing against his chest.

Guilt and regret starts to creep its way up Matt’s chest but he can’t pull himself away from Elektra, he lays there and accepts her kisses, even turning his head at one point to capture her lips with his. 

“I missed you.” She hums against his lips. Her fingers gently running circle through his hair. “It’s been too long.” She sighs and lays her head on his firm chest.

No response comes from Matt, he traces a finger along Elektra’s spine but stays silent. He’s afraid that when he opens his mouth he’ll say something he’ll regret, even though he doesn’t know what that is.

She breathes him in. Nuzzling her head against his chest. Her fingers forming circles on his forearm.

A couple upstairs shuts their door loudly, and she jumps. She lets out a puff of air and laughs. “It’s so much nosier here then it was at our place.” She places a hand on her heart as it steadies, then snuggles into his side.

Matt can only manage a nod. He thinks about when he and Karen first moved into this apartment, how the neighbors had greeted them cheerily and invited them over for coffee the next week. He can still smell her perfume lingering on the sheets in the bedroom, her favourite coffee sits in the kitchen cupboard and his drawers are filled with her clothes.

Yet, here he lays with Elektra, half naked and cuddling like young lovers.

“Can I see you again?” She asks quietly after a few minutes of silence. As much as she wants to believe this means they’re back together, she knows better. This could be a one night thing for him, and she’ll have to go back to her life, without him.

Yet the part of her that’s hopeful, prays that now they can come back together, and finally be at each other side again. It’s all she’s ever wanted since he left.

Matt knows that if he’s capable of this, he can’t be as good as he wants to think. This is what he was scared of, why he’d had to leave Elektra in the first place, because she tempts him into sin upon sin until that was all that was left.

“Karen will be home soon,” he lies, she’s out of town for a few more weeks still but he needs time away from them both. “I’ll need a few days.”

“Okay.” She bites her lip, and forces her self to sit up. She pulls her panties back on, and tries to salvage the part of her dress he ripped. She leans over and kisses him, before pulling back.

“Call me when your ready.” She breathes, before stepping away from him, and out of his apartment.

Once the door closes behind her, Matt collapses back down on the couch. He runs his hands across his face and muffles his sigh, the smell of her lingers and there’s no escaping what he’s done. 

He can keep a secret, he does so every day of his life but the panic comes from trying to understand whether or not he wants to. There’s a choice and while he knows the correct answer, he’s terrified of it.

Elektra spends the next few days in a haze. Waiting for him to text or call. She tries to distract herself, but nothing works. He’s all she can think about.

She contemplates calling him, but she feels like he might not like it, so she doesn’t. Hoping when he does contact her, she’ll welcome his words.

While on the phone with Karen, Matt catches a voice he doesn’t recognise in the background. It’s gruff and low, a man’s voice. He doesn’t mention anything about it, despite the call ending with Karen saying she was heading to bed but he instinctively knew something was wrong.

He couldn’t be angry, their couch still smelt of sex and sweat from where Matt had fucked Elektra into it but shaking the feeling of betrayal was impossible.

By the time he does call Elektra, a week has past since the rendezvous at his place.

“Hello?” She nervously twirls a piece of hair on the end of her finger when she answers.

“Do you want to come over?” He asks immediately after Elektra answers.

“I’d love too.” A smile lights up her face. “I’ll be there in thirty.” She hangs up, and quickly picks a silk dress. Nice to the touch.

She excitedly knocks on his door when she arrives, unlike before when she had been apprehensive.

Matt hesitates as he steps up to open the door, his hand curls around the handle but doesn’t push down. One indiscretion could perhaps be forgiven but inviting her into his home again? Even after what happened?

He manages a smile when he does open the door, he fiddles with his ring as he steps aside to let Elektra inside.

“Hi.” She steps in with a nervous grin. Unsure what to expect.

Matt is quiet for a moment before he twists the wedding ring off from his finger, he places it carefully down on a nearby table and turns back to face Elektra.

Elektra lets out a shaky breath, and then slowly smiles. Stepping towards him, and caressing his face. “Do you mean it?” She whispers. The disbelief but also joy, evident in her voice.

“I can’t say that we’ll work out this time,” Matt begins, “in fact, everything in me is saying it’s a bad idea, that I’m an awful person for even humoring it but I don’t care. I’ve felt more alive from the second you sent me your story than I have done in all these years combined.”

“This is all fine,” he gestures wildly around him, “but I don’t feel anything. Every day is the same and it’s all just _okay_. Karen’s a nice girl and I do love her, but I think she’s just as bored as I am. She doesn’t make me feel anything like you do.”

Elektra leans in, and nudges his cheek with her nose. “You’ve made me so happy.” She kisses him softly. “I love you. We’re going to make it work this time. I won’t let it fall apart again.” She wraps her arms around his neck.

“I’m sorry for leaving,” he says quietly as his hands find their way to her waist. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“I know.” She whispers as she lays her head in the crook of his neck. “I know.”

They slowly begin to sway. Content in each other’s company.

Elektra thinks as she places a kiss to his shoulder, that this is how it always should be. Them in each other’s arms.


End file.
